The Meridian Society promotes Chinese culture with the aim of fostering better understanding between people of Chinese origin and those from other ethnic backgrounds, both in the UK and worldwide.
子午社”致力于传播与推广中国文化,并以此来促进华人和来自英国及世界其它地区不同肤色和人种之间的相互理解与沟通
Events and Activities
We run a lively and diverse programme of events and activities to appeal to audiences of all ages, tastes and backgrounds, including people of Chinese origin who wish to learn more about their own cultural heritage, as well as members of the general public wishing to gain a deeper insight into China’s ancient civilisation and contemporary society. Regular activities include:
- talks on various aspects of Chinese culture
- educational programmes and arts workshops
- film screenings, exhibitions and cultural performances
- heritage projects
- dinner-debates
- social get-togethers at Chinese New Year and other Chinese festivals
- public displays and outdoor spectacles
- exclusive online content
Next Event
Chinese New Year 2024
Lunch + Film on Saturday 10th February
Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with us! 2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon. In Chinese culture, wood represents vitality and creativity, while the dragon is related to success, intelligence and honour. This combination means that people born in the Year of the Wood Dragon are full of energy and drive. They dream of changing the world and are good at coming up with innovative ideas and implementing them.
This year, The Meridian Society will be starting the day off with lunch at Culture Grub, 84 The Cut, London SE1 8LW. There will be a variety of dishes, including vegetarian options. The restaurant is a short walk away from BFI Southbank, where the celebration continues!
Programme for the day:
12:00 Arrive at Culture Grub, 84 The Cut, London SE1 8LW for lunch at 12:30
15:10 Screening of ‘FATHER’ at NFT3, BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1 8XT. Please gather by the Ticket Office at 14:45 to collect your ticket (seats are not numbered).
We are delighted to announce that BFI Southbank will be showing the UK premiere of ‘FATHER’, a documentary feature directed by young Chinese filmmaker Deng Wei and produced by British Chinese documentary film director and producer Peng Wenlan. There will be a Q&A with Deng Wei and Peng Wenlan after the screening chaired by Chris Berry, Professor of Film Studies at King’s College London.
FATHER (90 mins, Chinese with English subtitles) captures the fraught relationship between the director’s father, a property developer, and his grandfather, a blind fortune-teller, as they negotiate past resentments and an uncertain future. The film has garnered several awards at international film festivals around the world.
Synopsis
Filmmaker Deng Wei’s grandfather Zuogui has been blind since the age of three, living most of his life as a fortune-teller to raise his family. He has grown increasingly embittered towards his son Donggu (Wei’s father), a property developer set on earning the respect not afforded him as a child. Although the signs portend failure for him, Donggu persists in his pursuit of money, exacerbating the discord between him and his father. “What must be, must be. Everything is determined by fate, not humans,” warns Zuogui. As the frail elderly man approaches the final chapter of his life, will fate forever keep father and son apart, or can it heal the very wounds it created between them?
As time is short and seats at BFI Southbank are limited, please make your reservation(s) indicating whether you want lunch, lunch + film show, or just film show by emailing. themeridiansociety@gmail.com. When booking the meal, please indicate if you are vegetarian, gluten intolerant or have other dietary requirements. Once your place has been confirmed, please send in payment immediately and no later than 26th January.
We hope to see you there!
Spotlight
A new addition to our website, Spotlight features interviews with
individuals talking about their life, work and experiences. If you would like to contribute to this page, please contact us.
For our first Spotlight we feature an online art exhibition of photographs by Yujie Gao who recently completed an online Master of Arts at The University of the Arts, London.
CLICK HERE to see more of her works and to read an interview conducted by George Harvey.
Remembering Francis Moll
It is with great sadness that we have to inform you of Francis Moll’s passing. Francis served as Trustee/Director of The Meridian Society from 2015 to 2021 and carried out his duties as Secretary with the greatest diligence and deepest sense of responsibility. Despite his physical disability, he valued his independence and would partake in every activity possible, joined all the society’s tours to China and trudged with us through the battlefields of the Somme to commemorate the Chinese Labour Corps. In his spare time, he kept a keen eye on the stock market and would gladly give novices a tip or two. Those of you who knew Francis will remember that he was always of a cheerful disposition and enjoyed a good chat with friends old and new. We will miss him sorely.